Challerhocker

Producer/Affineur: Walter Rass
Origin: Tufertschwil, Switzerland
Milk Type: Cow
Style: Firm Alpine
Treatment: Raw
Rennet: Traditional
Mouthfeel: Dense and Fudgy
Flavor Profile: Cooked Custard, Brown Butter, Fruity, Onion and Roasted Peanuts

Challerhocker (Holler-Hocker) is made by Walter Rass at a small creamery in Toggenburg, Switzerland, northeast of Zurich. This is a firm cheese made from partially thermalized cow’s milk.The name Challerhocker means “the one that sits in the cellar” which is what this cheese does for 10 months. Brine washed every other day for most of its stay in Walter’s basement, this cheese takes on a deeply savory flavor; the rind smells intensely of peanuts, the paste is a concentrated flavor bomb of meaty salty mania - highlighted by intense tropical fruit flavors. The technique for affinage is derived from Walter’s decades of highly regarded Appenzeller production. The repeated brine washing creates a dense fudgy paste which seems almost counter intuitive to the age of the cheese. Why Walter put such a scary picture of a kid that looks a little too much like Chucky from “Child’s Play” on the label remains a mystery; the cheese however, is certainly a killer.